VCHR – Quê Mehttps://queme.org/en/
Quê Me: Action for democracy in Vietnam & Vietnam Committee on Human RightsWed, 20 Mar 2019 10:56:00 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.3VCHR denounces gross Violations of Civil and Political Rights in Vietnam before top UN Human Rights bodyhttps://queme.org/en/vchr-denounces-gross-violations-of-civil-and-political-rights-in-vietnam/
https://queme.org/en/vchr-denounces-gross-violations-of-civil-and-political-rights-in-vietnam/#respondMon, 11 Mar 2019 14:00:10 +0000https://queme.org/?p=41070GENEVA, 11 March 2019 (VCHR): As the UN Human Rights Committee meets at its 125th Session in Geneva to examine the periodic report of Vietnam on the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), one of the UN’s most important human rights instruments, the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) presented …

GENEVA, 11 March 2019 (VCHR): As the UN Human Rights Committee meets at its 125th Session in Geneva to examine the periodic report of Vietnam on the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), one of the UN’s most important human rights instruments, the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) presented a “Shadow Report” documenting Vietnam’s systematic violations of fundamental freedoms and lack of compliance with its engagements to respect the civil and political liberties defined in the ICCPR.

Although
Vietnam acceeded to the ICCPR in 1982 and has a binding obligation to submit
regular reports to the UN Human Rights Committee, this is only the third time
it has reported to the UN in 37 years.
The first time was in 1989 and the second in 2002. The current report, which
covers the period 2002-2017, is 14 years overdue.

“By delaying its
reports over decades, Vietnam is not only failing to comply with UN reporting
obligations, but also seriously undermining opportunities to strengthen
protection of its citizens’ civil and political rights,” said VCHR President Võ Văn Ái. “Much
of the information in the report is obsolete. Moreover, it denies glaring evidence
of the government’s brutal assault on civil society, escalation of arbitrary
arrests and long prison sentences for all those who simply advocate the rights
enshrined in the ICCPR”.

Testifying
before the 18-member UN Committee of experts this morning, Võ Văn Ái presented VCHR’s
report and made a number of key recommendations for reform. The Vietnamese
government’s report was presented by Vice-Minister of Justice Nguyễn Khánh Ngọc
and a delegation of 24 officials from Vietnam.

Civil and
political rights are massively and systematically violated in Vietnam. Võ Văn
Ái expressed particular concern on the use of broadly-defined “national
security” provisions in the Criminal Code to implement political repression. “These
vague, catch-all provisions are in fact a legal veneer to suppress human rights”,
he told the Committee. “They make no distinction between violent
acts and the legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of expression, and
transform peaceful human rights advocates into criminals”.Virtually all domestic legislation, such
as the 2015 Criminal Code, the Law on Religion and Belief, the Press Law,
Cybersecurity Law, Law on Access to Information etc. contain clauses
restricting human rights on the grounds of “ undermining
national security” or “threatening
the interests of the state,” in gross violation of the ICCPR.

National
security provisions are routinely invoked to arrest, prosecute and imprison human
rights defenders, bloggers, religious followers, civil society activists and
all those who criticize the government or the Communist Party. In an
unprecedently fierce crack-down on freedom of expression between January 2017
and February 2019, 117 civil society
activists, including 23 women, were condemned to prison terms, several
ranging from 13 to20 years.

Most disturbingly, convictions of pro-democracy activists and government critics under Article 109 of the 2015 Criminal Codeon “actions aimed at overthrowing the people’s government” (wwhich carries the death penalty) have “literally exploded”, said Võ Văn Ái. In 2018, 15 persons were sentenced under Article 109 and five others are awaiting trial, compared to six convictions in 2017 and two in 2016. In April 2018, six members of the “Brotherhood for Democracy” were sentenced to nine to 15 years in prison under Article 109 on charges of seeking to “build a regime of pluralism, multiparty and the separation of powers”.

“In the government’s
view, advocating pluralism is synonymous with subversion, for it threatens the
authority of the one-Party State”,said Võ Văn Ái. “In Vietnam, the survival of
the Communist Party takes precedence over human rights.”

Unfair
trials, systematic denial of legal defense, degrading detention conditions and
ill-treatment of prisoners are routine in Vietnam, in violation of Article 14
of the ICCPR. The 2015 Criminal Procedures Code permits virtually unlimited
pre-trial detention, prolonged incommunicado
incarceration and secret trials for suspected “national security”
offenders. Article 19 of the Criminal Code obliges lawyers to denounce their
own clients if they are suspected of breaching national security.

Beatings,
physical assaults, threats and intimidation, often by plain-clothed security
officers or government-hired gangs and thugs, are widespread. Activists also
face restrictions such as travel bans, confiscation of passports, denial or
delays in passport applications, police surveillance, house arrest and the
denial of citizenship rights.

The right
to freedom of religion or belief is gravely violated. Under the Law on Belief
and Religion, registration is mandatory, and no legal status is provided for
groups not recognized by the state. Members of
non-registered religious groups and communities such as the Unified Buddhist
Church of Vietnam (UBCV), Khmer Krom Buddhists, Protestant house churches, Hoa
Hao, and Cao Dai have suffered increasing repression since the law came into effect in January 2018. UBCV
leader Thích Quảng Độ remains under effective house arrest, deprived of access
to communications. In August 2018, the Ministry of Defence called for increased
Police surveillance of religious groups such as Falun Gong, and ordered “Force
47”, its brigade of cyber warriors, to post articles on the Internet denouncing
their activities and warning people not to join them.

VCHR’s
report also documented a whole range of abuses including restrictions on freedom
of the press and Internet, notably the restrictive new Cybersecurity Law;
violations of the right to freedom of association and assembly; escalation in
the use of the death penalty; use of anti-demonstration regulations to quell
protests on special economic zones in June 2018, in which at least 118
protesters were convicted; and abuses of the rights of ethnic and religious
minorities..

“With no independent
media, no free trade unions, no independent civil society, victims of human
rights abuses have no mechanisms to express their
grievances or protect their rights. 37 years after Vietnam’s accession to the
ICCPR, its citizens are still deprived of their fundamental civil and political
rights”, said
Võ Văn Ái.

]]>https://queme.org/en/vchr-denounces-gross-violations-of-civil-and-political-rights-in-vietnam/feed/0EU–Vietnam 8th Human Rights Dialogue in Brussels: Interview with Maya Kocijancic & Umberto Gambinihttps://queme.org/en/eu-vietnam-dialogue-interview-with-maya-kocijancic-umberto-gambini/
https://queme.org/en/eu-vietnam-dialogue-interview-with-maya-kocijancic-umberto-gambini/#respondTue, 05 Mar 2019 14:00:09 +0000https://queme.org/?p=41103On Monday 4th March 2019, the European Union and Vietnam held their annual human rights dialogue in Brussels. This is the 8th time the EU and Vietnam have held these high-level dialogues, which take place alternatively in Brussels and Hanoi. On this occasion, Radio Free Asia spoke with Maya Kocijancic, EU spokesperson on Foreign Affairs …

On Monday 4th March 2019, the
European Union and Vietnam held their annual human rights dialogue in Brussels.
This is the 8th time the EU and Vietnam have held these high-level
dialogues, which take place alternatively in Brussels and Hanoi. On this
occasion, Radio Free Asia spoke with Maya
Kocijancic, EU spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy and Umberto Gambini, head of staff of MEP
Ramon Tremosa i Balcells to hear their views about the content and purpose of
the dialogue, and how effective it is in promoting human rights progress in
Vietnam.

Maya Kocijancic

RFA:Maya Kocijancic, could you
tell me what were the main issues discussed at the EU-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue
on Monday ?

Maya
Kocijancic: Indeed, the EU and Vietnam held the
annual human rights dialogue yesterday in Brussels. We discussed a wide range
of issues related to freedom of expression, cybersecurity, the death penalty,
environmental and labour eights, cooperation within the United Nations
framework.

RFA:What was the Vietnamese
delegation’s reaction to the issues you raised?

Maya
Kocijancic: I would look at it from a different
point of view. I think it is important to have these regular dialogues, because
they give us an opportunity to bring up very concrete cases of prisoners of
conscience, but also to detect ongoing trends. We have observed some positive
trends in Vietnam but also some negative developments. On the positive side,
over the past 20 years, reform and modernization have helped Vietnam to make
progress in building a more prosperous and dynamic society and improve sectors
such as education, health services, and make progress in social and economic
rights.

On the other hand we have seen some
negative developments in terms of freedom of expression, both online and
offline, freedom of assembly, association, press, and religion or belief. These
developments are very worrying. For example, some of the new laws passed in
Vietnam have actually hampered the exercise of fundamental freedoms. There are
reports of human rights defenders subjected to intimidations, torture, very
severe prison sentences for exercising their right to freedom of expression. We
raised all this very clearly. We demand the release of these people, we insist
on the importance of access to lawyers, family visits etc. We let the
delegation know that we expect action, but that has to happen inside the
country. This is why we not only have the dialogue, but many other actions to
press for human rights in Vietnam.

RFA:What other actions do you
have in connection to the dialogue?

Maya
Kocijancic: During the visit, the Vietnamese
delegation visited the European Parliament to see how democracy in Europe
works. And before each dialogue, we always organize consultations with civil
society in Europe and in Vietnam. This is an essential part of the main human
rights dialogue.

Radio
Free Asia (RFA):Umberto Gambini, you are Head of Office to MEP Ramon Tremosa. Your
office has been very involved in Vietnam, and MEP Tremosa signed a letter with
32 other MEPs from all political parties calling on the EU to press for human
rights improvements. What is your assessment of the human rights situation in
Vietnam today?

Umberto Gambini

Umberto
Gambini: Yes, nice to speak to you, and hello to
all citizens and friends in Vietnam and Asia. We follow Vietnam very closely.
The European Union is in the process of negotiating and finalizing a future
trade agreement with Vietnam, but as Liberals we pay very much attention to
human rights, religious freedom, civil society activities, and we are very
concerned about the evolution of this situation. As we understand it, things
are far from perfect and they are not improving as fast as we would like. We
know that religious freedom is not good, Buddhist monk Thich Quang Do is still
under house arrest. We know there is a new Cybersecurity Law that places heavy
restrictions on freedom of expression online and offline. We know that civil
society leaders are incarcerated for expressing themselves. This is not the way
Southeast Asia should be moving. We think that a free Vietnam is a greater
Vietnam. The Vietnamese regime and government should not be afraid of a
pluralistic society. We believe there are many problems to be solved.

RFA: You mentioned that, the EU
is finalizing a Free Trade Agreement with Vietnam, which needs the approval of
the European Parliament. What is the status of this today?

Umberto
Gambini: As you know, the EP’s mandate ends in May,
and there will be European elections for a new Parliament. So it will be for
the new European Parliament to decide whether they should ratify the agreement,
and to decide if Vietnam has made enough progress or not. The current EU
Commissioner Cecilia Malstrom cares a lot about human rights, and she is
working hard on this agreement. I think we should trust her. But it is up to
the next Parliament to decide. The FTA should come before the Council of
Europe in May, and then later before the
new Parliament. Of course, this may change, but this is what we hear from the
current Rumanian Presidency.

RFA : But do you think the EP
will take human rights into account when they decide on this free trade
agreement?

Umberto
Gambini: Of course, of course. The modern Free
Trade Agreements have a chapter on sustainability and human rights. This
chapter is binding. So definitely, Parliament will make the European Commission
accountable to ensure Vietnam respects this. You know, agreements can be
suspended when there are violations of human rights. Take Cambodia for example
– the EU has just suspended preferential tariffs to Cambodia because of gross
violations of human rights. So Vietnam should look at what’s happening to its
neighbours. This is what we are pushing for in Parliament. Trade agreements are
not just words, and there are severe consequences if you do not respect the
rules.

RFA: One last question – what do
you think about the EU-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue? Is it a useful process or
just a smokescreen that Vietnam uses to pretend it cares about human rights?

Umberto
Gambini: Listen, I think that dialogue channels
should always be open. Even the Dalai Lama, whom I have met along with our
friends Marco Pannella and Emma Bonino, continues to dialogue with China. Although
China is not exactly accommodating on Tibet, he still believes in dialogue. Of
course, no-one is blind, and we must press to make sure things move in the
right direction. But I don’t think it helps to stop talking. It’s like in a couple.
I think we should continue to talk to each other.

]]>https://queme.org/en/eu-vietnam-dialogue-interview-with-maya-kocijancic-umberto-gambini/feed/0Vietnam: Human rights dialogue held amid heightened crackdownhttps://queme.org/en/vietnam-human-rights-dialogue-held-amid-heightened-crackdown/
https://queme.org/en/vietnam-human-rights-dialogue-held-amid-heightened-crackdown/#respondMon, 04 Mar 2019 02:00:26 +0000https://queme.org/?p=41055PARIS, 4 March 2019 (FIDH & VCHR) – The European Union (EU) must urge the Vietnamese government to end its ongoing crackdown on peaceful dissent, repeal its repressive laws, and immediately release all political prisoners, FIDH and its member organization Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) said today. The two organizations made the call on …

PARIS, 4 March 2019 (FIDH & VCHR) – The European Union (EU) must urge the Vietnamese government to end its ongoing crackdown on peaceful dissent, repeal its repressive laws, and immediately release all political prisoners, FIDH and its member organization Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) said today. The two organizations made the call on the occasion of the eighth EU-Vietnam human rights dialogue, which is set to be held today in Brussels.

“The Vietnamese government’s ongoing attack on civil
and political rights undermines its capacity to be a sustainable economic
partner of the EU. It is in the EU’s interests to press Hanoi to end the
crackdown on civil society and enact urgent legal and institutional reforms,” said FIDH Secretary-General Debbie Stothard.

In 2018, brutal physical attacks and other
acts of harassment and intimidation against human rights defenders, activists,
bloggers, and members of religious groups continued across the country.

At least 150 political prisoners remain
behind bars across Vietnam. Since the previous EU-Vietnam human rights dialogue
in December 2017, the ongoing crackdown on government critics, bloggers,
activists, and human rights defenders has intensified. Between December 2017
and February 2019, at least 40 individuals, including eight women, were
arbitrarily arrested for the exercise of their rights to freedom of expression
or freedom of peaceful assembly. In addition, 60 individuals, including 14
women, were sentenced to prison terms – with eight receiving particularly harsh
sentences, ranging from 13 to 20 years.

Nearly all of the government critics,
bloggers, activists, and human rights defenders who were arbitrarily detained
or imprisoned were charged under frequently-used repressive provisions of
Vietnam’s Criminal Code that are inconsistent with international standards
related to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, including under the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Vietnam
is a state party.

Other recently passed laws have restricted
freedoms. The Cybersecurity Law, which was adopted in June 2018 and came into
force in January 2019, dealt a severe blow to internet freedom. The Law on
Belief and Religion, which came into force in January 2018, marks a hardening
of Vietnam’s policies on freedom of religion or belief. Immediately after the
law came into force, and throughout 2018 and in 2019, every major religious
community, including Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) Buddhists,
Catholics, Cao Dai, Hoa Hao Buddhists, Protestants, Muslims,
and Falun Gong practitioners, reported being targeted by the authorities.

“The adoption and use of new repressive laws and the
unprecedented concentration of power assumed by the leader of the Communist
Party of Vietnam signal that the crackdown on peaceful dissent may intensify.
It’s time for the EU to demand
the Vietnamese government stop its assault in civil society, release all
political prisoners, and enact reforms,” said
VCHR President Vo Van Ai.

The right to freedom of peaceful assembly also
remained severely restricted. Repressive anti-demonstration regulations were
widely invoked in 2018 to quell massive protests against a controversial draft
law on Special Economic Zones and the draft Cybersecurity Law. In June 2018, hundreds
of protesters were arrested nationwide and at least 118 protesters were subsequently
sentenced to prison terms in connection with the demonstrations on charges of
disrupting public order.

With regard to the death penalty, the
number of death sentences increased dramatically in 2018, with 122 more cases
compared to the previous year. The government also reported that at least 85
executions had been carried out in 2018.

]]>https://queme.org/en/vietnam-human-rights-dialogue-held-amid-heightened-crackdown/feed/0Vietnam fails to address serious human rights concerns at its Universal Periodic Review at the UNhttps://queme.org/en/vietnam-fails-to-address-serious-human-rights-concerns-at-its-upr/
https://queme.org/en/vietnam-fails-to-address-serious-human-rights-concerns-at-its-upr/#respondMon, 28 Jan 2019 07:39:51 +0000http://queme.org/?p=41022/ GENEVA, 28 January 2019 (VCHR) – Vietnam failed to address serious human rights concerns raised by UN member states at its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva and provided misleading information to the international community, said the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) today. At Vietnam’s third UPR on 22 January at the 32nd …

GENEVA, 28 January 2019 (VCHR) – Vietnam failed to address serious human rights concerns raised by UN member states at its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva and provided misleading information to the international community, said the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) today.

At Vietnam’s third UPR on 22 January at the 32nd Session of the UPR Working Group, 291 recommendations were made by 121 member states, and 22 states submitted questions in advance. The draft report was adopted on Friday 25th January, and Vietnam must report back to the UPR Working Group before the 41st Session of the UN Human Rights Council in June-July 2019 to state which recommendations it rejects or accepts to implement over the next four years before its fourth UPR cycle.

The 291 recommendations highlighted a wide range of issues such as detention and harassment of bloggers, journalists and human rights defenders, the widespread use of the death penalty, violations of freedom of expression, association, assembly and freedom of religion or belief, the rights of women and children, human trafficking, torture, worker rights and due process of law. Several states observed that a “harsh crackdown on individuals peacefully expressing dissent” had intensified in 2018.

“These recommendations give a stark appraisal of the widespread human rights abuses endured by Vietnamese citizens in all aspects of their daily lives. The government used the pretext of “national security” and “terrorism” to explain the ongoing crackdown. But the international community is not dupe. Thescores of civil society activists sentenced recently to harsh prison terms in Vietnam are not clearly terrorists, but ordinary people calling for the respect of rights, freedoms, and democratic principles,” said VCHR President Vo Van Ai.

The head of the Vietnamese delegation, Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung, justified the ongoing crackdown by invoking “new challenges facing Vietnam: terrorism, anarchy and abuse of religions”. He warned that “individuals and organizations who harbour extremism and prejudices” were “spread[ing] untruths” to threaten national security and prevent the enjoyment of human rights.

Specific questions on issues such as torture, repression of dissidents or abuses freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) were flatly dismissed by the Vietnamese delegation, which included officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Information and Communications, Government Committee for Religious Affairs, Ministry of Public Security, Supreme People’s Court and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. Belying extensive evidence to the contrary, the Ministry of Public Security’s representative stated categorically that “there is no such thing as so-called arrests and detention of human rights defenders for the peaceful expression of their opinions.”“Torture is forbidden by law in Vietnam, and therefore does not exist”, said the Supreme People’s Procuracy official.

In other cases, the delegation provided misleading information. Responding to concerns by Japan, Slovakia and other states on alleged ill-treatment of civil society activists detained on “national security” charges, a Judge from the Supreme People’s Court said that “in Vietnamese law, there is no difference between prisoners detained on national security charges and other crimes”. In fact, Vietnam’s Criminal Code and Criminal Procedures Code both contain specific provisions on national security offenders, such as longer pre-trial detention, trials closed to the public etc[1]. In many prisons, detention conditions are harsher for those detained on national security charges.

Below are some of the main issues of concern raised during the review:

Legal Reforms:

Vietnam declared that it had adopted or amended 96 key legal documents related to human rights since its last UPR in 2014. However, states including Slovakia, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and France observed that many of these laws imposed inadmissible restrictions on human rights. The Netherlands called on Vietnam “to amend within one year” its Criminal Code, the Cybersecurity Law, Press Law and Internet Decree 27/2018 to bring them into line with the ICCPR.

National Security Provisions

Many states called on Vietnam to revise or abrogate broadly defined “national security” clauses in the Criminal Code to ensure that they are not used to “prevent peaceful debate and dissent”, in particular Articles 109, 117 and 331[2] (on “activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration”, “making, storing and disseminating information against the SRV”, and “abusing democratic freedoms to encroach on the interests of the state” which criminalize the expression of peaceful opinions or beliefs. States also called for the release of all persons unlawfully detained under these laws for the expression of peaceful views, such as Tran Thi Nga and members of the Brotherhood for Democracy (USA).

Freedom of Expression Online and Offline

Almost 40 recommendations concerned freedom of expression, both online and offline. Many states, including Japan, Australia, Sweden, Ireland, USA, Austria, Italy, Spain, and Finland called on Vietnam to revise the new Cyber Security Law to bring it into line with international standards of freedom of expression; abolish censorship (Portugal, Peru); cease blocking news media websites (USA); nurture a culture of free expression online and offline (Czechia) and allow bloggers, journalists and other internet users to promote and protect human rights (Rumania).

Press Freedom

States including Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Greece, Brazil urged Vietnam to revise the 2016 Press Law to authorize the publication of independent newspapers; cease detention and harassment of journalists and citizens peacefully expressing views through print media, internet and radio; reduce political influence on media outlets (Austria). Although Vietnam accepted recommendations to ensure press freedom at its 2014 UPR, independent publications remain banned in Vietnam.

Human Rights Defenders

Concern on “a growing trend in arbitrary arrests and detention, intimidation, harassment and attacks against human rights defenders” (Slovakia) and “shrinking spaces for civil society” (Belgium, France) was echoed by many states. They urged Vietnam to release all human rights defenders, bloggers, political and religious activists imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom of expression (Iceland, Poland, Czechia); prosecute all persons guilty of violence or intimidation against them (Luxembourg, Argentina); and review regulations impeding the operation of CSOs (Ireland).

Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB)

Nine states urged Vietnam to review the 2016 Law on Belief and Religion (effective since January 2018) to enable all religious groups to practice freely; reduce administrative obstacles to peaceful religious activities; cease harassment against religious minorities; remove undue restrictions on access to and clergy for those in prison; and release all those detained on account of their religious beliefs (Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Poland, Angola, Italy, USA, Kenya, Laos).

The Death Penalty

This subject received the most recommendations, from 26 states, calling on Vietnam to ratify the ICCPR’s 2nd Optional Protocol aiming at the abolition of the death penalty; initiate a moratorium on executions and consider fully abolishing the death penalty; eliminate the death penalty for non-violent crimes, including national security offences; provide official statistics regarding death sentences and executions. Responding to these concerns, the representative of Vietnam’s Ministry of Justice said that Vietnam will not publicize data concerning the death penalty, since they are considered state secrets. But she added that executions in Vietnam “have always been transparent and public”. She did not explain why executions are public, whereas statistics are state secrets.

The 291 recommendations covered a range of other issues, including authorizing the establishment of independent trade unions, guaranteeing worker rights and ratifying ILO Conventions 87, 98 and 105; reforming the legal system to ensure the right to a fair trial, access to lawyers and due process of law; issuing standing invitations to UN Special Rapporteurs; protecting LGTBI rights; enacting laws to provide for freedom of assembly and peaceful demonstration (in June 2018, hundreds were arrested in nationwide demonstrations protesting a law on Special Economic Zones and the Cyber Security Law); and moving towards political plurality and democracy (Czechia).

———————————————-

[1] Article 173.5 of the 2015 amended Criminal Procedures Code provides for indefinite pre-trial detention of national security offenders (following a period of 4 months which may be extended three times, “the head of the Supreme People’s Procuracy shall decide to maintain detention until the investigation closes”); the 2015 amended Criminal Code provides for “special circumstances” concerning trials of suspected national security offenders (Article 25: trials may be held in secret, Article 28: non-application of the time limit for criminal prosecution)

PARIS, 13th December 2018 (VCHR) – On 6th December 2018, Võ Trần Nhật, Executive Secretary of Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) addressed a gathering of Members of Parliament, diplomats and human rights defenders at the Danish Parliament (Folketing) in Copenhagen to discuss the hardships faced by civil society in Vietnam and propose strategies to encourage the respect of human rights, in particular the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB).

Organized by the Danish Mission Council, the conference on “The Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief in a Shrinking Space for Civil Society: Challenges and Strategies” is one of a series of seminars initiated by Denmark to find solutions to the growing phenomenon of shrinking spaces faced by civil society in countries all over the world. Speakers included Daniel Toft Jakobsen MP, President of the FoRB Group in the Danish Parliament, Michael Suhr, Danish Special Representative for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Jonas Adelin Jørgensen, Secretary-general of the Danish Mission Council, Jørgen Thomsen of the DanChurchAid (DCA Actalliance), and Filip Buff Pedersen of the Danish Mission Council, who moderated the debate.

Võ Trần Nhật stressed the crucial importance of freedom of religion or belief in Vietnam. Religious groups are amongst the only organized and truly independent organizations in Vietnam’s one-Party state, and they are speaking out strongly for social justice and human rights. The Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), has consistently advocated human rights, religious freedom and democracy in Vietnam, and in recent years, the Catholic and Protestant communities have engaged actively in social movements to defend victims of state confiscation of lands or ecological disasters, such as the toxic spill caused by the Taiwanese Steel Plant Formosa.

In his recommendations, Võ Trần Nhật proposed a two-fold strategy of working with civil society in Vietnam to foster a culture of FoRB and human rights (capacity building, circulating translations of core international human rights instruments on FoRB etc.), combined with concerted international advocacy to press Vietnam to respect its international human rights obligations. The upcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Vietnam in January 2019, he said, provides an important occasion for UN member states to press for measurable improvements in Vietnam.

The theme of “Shrinking Spaces for Civil Society” is a major concern of the VCHR. In 2018, VCHR published an in-depth report on the subject, analyzing extensive new legislation adopted by Vietnam to restrict human rights and criminalize the legitimate exercise of free expression, FoRB and other fundamental rights. In August 2018, Vo Tran Nhat presented the report at the Fourth Southeast Asia Conference on FoRB in Bangkok.

]]>https://queme.org/en/vchr-danish-strategies-advancing-forb-vietnam/feed/0UBCV leader Thích Quảng Độ returns safely to Saigonhttps://queme.org/en/ubcv-leader-thich-quang-returns-safely-saigon/
https://queme.org/en/ubcv-leader-thich-quang-returns-safely-saigon/#respondWed, 28 Nov 2018 18:29:59 +0000http://queme.org/?p=40643/ PARIS, 28 November 2018 (VCHR – IBIB) – The International Buddhist Information Bureau (IBIB) and the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) are happy to announce that the Most Venerable Thích Quảng Độ, Patriarch of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) has returned safely to Saigon after almost two months in northern Vietnam. …

PARIS, 28 November 2018 (VCHR – IBIB) – The International Buddhist Information Bureau (IBIB) and the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) are happy to announce that the Most Venerable Thích Quảng Độ, Patriarch of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) has returned safely to Saigon after almost two months in northern Vietnam. He arrived back on 22 November, and is now resting at the Từ Hiếu Pagoda, a temple belonging to the UBCV. Today marks the 90th birthday of the UBCV Patriarch, who has spent more than a third of his life under detention for his peaceful advocacy of religious freedom, democracy and human rights.

As we previously reported, on 15 September 2018, Thích Quảng Độ was expelled from the Thanh Minh Zen Monastery by its Superior monk Thích Thanh Minh, who said his presence caused “political and economic problems” to the monastery. As soon as he left, his room was locked up and all his belongings, sutras and books were impounded.

In poor health and in a state of shock, Thích Quảng Độ accepted an invitation to stay at a temple dedicated to his ancestors in his home village at Tiền Hải district in the northern province of Thái Bình. Thích Quảng Độ told IBIB Director Võ Văn Ái by phone that he wished to visit his birth-place for the last time. He left Saigon by train on 5th October 2018.

Thích Quảng Độ (centre) and Pamela Pontius of the US Consulate (right)

On arriving in Thái Bình, however, Thích Quảng Độ soon realized he was under house arrest once again. His nephew, a former Security Police officer, forced Thích Quảng Độ’s assistant to return to Saigon and took control of all his communications. When Thích Quảng Độ expressed his wish to go home, the “family” found endless pretexts to prevent him leaving.

Thanks to the UBCV’s resourceful network, on 17 November, Thích Quảng Độ left the family temple, never to return. Under the pretext of visiting a nearby Buddhist Pagoda, they took him in secret by car back south, staying in Buddhists’ homes and temples on the way. UBCV followers told IBIB that Security Police were tracking them, often arriving at places they had spent the night only hours after they had left. Despite all hardships, however, on 22 November, Thích Quảng Độ arrived at Từ Hiếu Pagoda safe and sound.

Vietnamese Buddhists all over the world are celebrating the return of the UBCV Patriarch, after weeks of concern about his safety and security. Thích Nguyên Lý, the Abbot of Từ Hiếu Temple, said that monks, nuns and lay followers had been flocking to the temple to pay their respects. Today, Pamela Pontius, Political Officer at the US Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, paid a visit to the UBCV Patriarch (see photo above).

IBIB sincerely thanks the US Embassy and Consulate, as well as all the other diplomatic missions and international organizations who have closely monitored Thích Quảng Độ’s situation during these recent weeks, as well as during his long years under house arrest. As a Buddhist monk, he does not celebrate his birthday, but today is nevertheless a day of celebration for all who have followed the itinerary of this spiritual leader, scholar, prominent dissident and exceptional man. —

]]>https://queme.org/en/ubcv-leader-thich-quang-returns-safely-saigon/feed/0European Parliament castigates Vietnam for systematic violations of human rights and detention of political prisonershttps://queme.org/en/ep-castigates-vietnam-for-systematic-human-rights-violations/
https://queme.org/en/ep-castigates-vietnam-for-systematic-human-rights-violations/#respondThu, 15 Nov 2018 16:27:43 +0000http://queme.org/?p=40550/ PARIS, 15th November 2018 (VCHR) – The Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) welcomes the resolution adopted by the European Parliament in Strasbourg today on “Vietnam, notably the situation of political prisoners”. The resolution was tabled jointly by six major political parties from across the political spectrum [i]. The resolution, which comes at a …

PARIS, 15th November 2018 (VCHR) – The Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) welcomes the resolution adopted by the European Parliament in Strasbourg today on “Vietnam, notably the situation of political prisoners”. The resolution was tabled jointly by six major political parties from across the political spectrum [i].

The resolution, which comes at a time of unprecedented political repression in Vietnam “condemns the continuing violations of human rights, including the sentencing, political intimidation, surveillance, harassment, assaults and unfair trials in Vietnam perpetrated against political activists, journalists, bloggers, dissidents and human rights defenders for exercising their freedom of expression both online or offline, in clear violation of Vietnam’s international human rights obligations”. It deplores recent prison terms of 14 to 20 years handed down on human rights defenders, quoting from a database of more than 160 civil society activists currently serving prison sentences and 16 awaiting trial.

The resolution reflects MEPs deep concerns on abuses of freedom of religion or belief, particularly the repression of non-recognized religious groups such as the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, certain Protestant house churches and ethnic minority Christian Montagnards, as well as repression against the Catholic Church. MEPs called on Vietnam to “remove all restrictions on freedom of religion, put an end to the harassment of religious communities” and review the new Law on Belief and Religion which “has institutionalized [state] interference in religious affairs and state supervision of religious groups.”

The European Parliament also condemns Vietnam’s use and abuse of “repressive legal provisions” to restrict fundamental rights and freedoms, such as “national security” clauses in Vietnam’s Criminal Code, legislation restricting demonstrations and the new Cybersecurity Law. Noting grave violations of freedom of expression both online and offline, the EP reiterated “its call for an EU-wide ban on the export, sale, update and maintenance of any form of security equipment which can be or is used for internal repression, including Internet surveillance technology to states with a worrying human rights records” such as Vietnam.

VCHR President Võ Văn Ái welcomed the Resolution, but expressed disappointment with the text: “The EP’s Resolution is falsely harsh. Whilst it rightly and strongly condemns the devastating human rights violations in Vietnam, it stops short of invoking the EU’s only leverage on Vietnam. The MEPs should have spelled out in black and white that they refuse to ratify EVFTA unless Vietnam puts an end to its brutal crackdown on dissent and makes concrete progress towards the rule of law”.

Indeed, the EP Resolution was adopted as Europe is finalizing an EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) which requires the EP’s approval. Described as the most ambitious deal of its type between the EU and a developing country, EVFTA will eliminate over 99% of customs duties on goods. From the very outset, however, human rights were excluded from process. In 2014, the European Commission waived a mandatory Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) that should have been conducted before negotiations began. Following a complaint filed by VCHR and FIDH, on 26 February 2016, European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly concluded that the EC’s failure to conduct the HRIA constituted a case of “maladministration”. Despite this, the EC went ahead with negotiations, aiming for a “speedy ratification” of the accord.

As repression intensified in Vietnam, many MEPs expressed serious concerns about the lack of human rights provisions and monitoring mechanisms in the agreement, and the obvious lack of political will of the Vietnamese authorities to respect human rights. In February 2017, a delegation from the EP’s Subcommittee on Human Rights visiting Vietnam observed serious violations of freedom of the press, expression and freedom of religion or belief. Its President, Pier Antonio Panzeri, said at a Press Conference in Hanoi that repression of free speech, lack of transparency in the legal system and restrictions on human rights were serious obstacles to ratification of EVFTA. “We very much want to approve the free trade agreement, but we need progress in human rights and social rights. At this time, the progress has not been made and we have communicated to the authorities that it would be extremely hard to approve it [EVFTA] under these circumstances.”

On 17 September 2018, 32 MEPs from different political groups wrote to EU High Representative Federica Mogherini and EC Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, urging them to “push for robust progress in Vietnam’s human rights record ahead of the possible ratification of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement”. Stating that “Vietnam’s current human rights record […] casts serious doubts about the country’s stated commitment to respect human rights”, the 32 MEPs set a number of benchmarks that Vietnam should meet before EVFTA is submitted to the European Parliament for approval, such as the release of prisoners of conscience, Vietnam’s adherence to core ILO conventions, the recognition of free trade unions, the repeal of national security provisions in the Criminal Code and the respect of freedom of religion or belief.

“Unless Vietnam makes a good faith efforts to address these pressing human rights issues and demonstrates concrete improvements and commitment to respect all human rights before Parliament votes, it will be difficult for us to give our consent to the agreement”, they wrote.

Moreover, on 7 November 2018, FIDH and VCHR sent an Open Letter to Commissioner Malmström stating that the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) – formerly part of the EVFTA, now a separate agreement that is also under negotiation – contravened the EU’s human rights obligations by taking no account of fundamental freedoms and human rights. The organizations urged the EC to negotiate an additional protocol to the IPA which provides for an independent monitoring and complaint mechanism, obliges parties to protect civil society organizations that seek to address human rights violations stemming from trade and investment, and to respect international human rights standards and obligations.

—————————————————[i] Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats), Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Group of the European Conservatives and Reformists, Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy Group.

FIDH and VCHR wish to express their concern over the draft EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement that was made public in late September 2018, which, to our view, fails to provide sufficient human rights safeguards, and as a consequence, puts the EU in violation of EU law, such as Articles 205 and 207 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.

These developments have occurred notwithstanding the opinion of the Court of Justice, which has provided insights regarding the extent of the EU’s obligations, compelling the European Commission to review and enrich its new generation of trade and investment agreements. In the context of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the EU and Singapore dated 16 May 2017 the Court opined that the principles enshrined in Article 21 of the TEU are an integral part of the common trade policy and imply “the obligation on the European Union to integrate those objectives and principles into the conduct of its common commercial policy,” which “is apparent from the second sentence of Article 207(1) of the TFEU read in conjunction with Article 21(3) of the TEU and Article 205 of the TFEU”. The court added that Article 21 of the TEU reflects the “need to ensure in an effective manner that those commitments are complied with in the course of such trade.”

Firstly, the text of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) does not mention human rights -with the exception of a vague reference in its preamble. It lacks provisions that: create obligations for the parties to respect international human rights standards; make reference to the obligation of businesses to comply with international human rights law in their operations; effectively prevent the agreement’s negative impact on human rights; and establish redress mechanism when human rights violations result from the application of the investment agreements.

The European Ombudsman, in case 1409/2014/MHZ on the EU-Vietnam FTA, found that the preamble of the EU-Vietnam FTA and other traditional tools, such as the ‘essential element’ clause, the human rights dialogue, and the development cooperation, may be insufficient to adequately respect EU obligations, especially with regard to countries like Vietnam where legislation and practice are not in line with international human rights standards (1). On 26 February 2016, the European Ombudsman concluded that the European Commission’s failure to carry out a prior human rights impact assessment (HRIA) of the EU-Vietnam FTA constitutes a case of maladministration. Since then, the EU has negotiated with Vietnam an IPA without carrying out a HRIA, and without integrating human rights standards and protection. In our view, this amounts once again to a case of maladministration on the EC’s part.

Secondly, the “linkage clause” (2) – recognised by the European Ombudsman as potentially insufficient to make trade and investment agreements compliant with EU human rights obligations raises doubts regarding its triggering in the context of an IPA. The EU suspension of the IPA is unlikely because it would imply the lifting of protection that the EU provides to its own investors in Vietnam in connection with human rights violations occurring in the country. A suspension or termination of the IPA may also raise legal issues regarding the termination clause or other provisions of the agreements (3).

Thirdly and as a consequence, the current draft IPA confirms the spirit and structure within which trade and investment agreement have been developing in the past, and thus confirms approaches that have prevented remedies in situations where such agreements may have committed human rights violations.

The draft IPA confirms an approach where human rights is considered in the context of bilateral political human rights dialogues and through development cooperation, avenues that are insufficient to deal with the impact of investment agreements on human rights. As a matter of fact, during the EU-Vietnam IPA negotiation process, the human rights situation significantly deteriorated. In response to the skepticism of Members of the European Parliament on that matter, the European Commission commended the promises made by the Vietnamese government to address human rights, even if these promises had been made without any guarantees and only with regard to labour rights.

The IPA confirms the investor-state dispute settlement approach that has governed the highly problematic Chevron v. Ecuador arbitration award dated 30 August 2018. The ad-hoc arbitration tribunal, which was set up in the framework of the US-Ecuador bilateral investment agreement, denied the rights of approximately 30,000 people – who were non-parties to the arbitration – to seek remedy for the negative impact they suffered as a result of a large-scale environmental disasters that involved oil spillage into 4,400 square kilometers of the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador. The arbitration award ruled against the separation of powers by requiring the government of Ecuador to oppose to the enforcement of the US$9.5 billion judgment rendered by a domestic court against Chevron in 2011. It ruled against third parties to the case denying people affected by Chevron’s operations their fundamental human right to obtain redress. And ruled against third parties to the investment agreement by requiring that no part of the 2011 judgment should be recognized or enforced by any states.

This precedent demonstrates the necessity to avoid that IPAs prevent victims of human rights violations from seeking and obtaining reparation, while allowing investors to continue to conduct activities that result in violations of those rights without any obligation to provide any remedies.

We consequently strongly urge the European Commission to negotiate an additional protocol and interpretative declaration to the current IPA with Vietnam, to ensure that the IPA:

Requires the parties to the IPA as well as companies and investors protected by the IPA to respect international human rights standards and obligations, in addition to those arising from domestic laws. Provides for an independent monitoring and complaint mechanism that can be seized by affected populations and that has the authority to make binding rulings with regard to the negative impact that trade and investments agreements may have on human rights, including when these impacts result from their dispute settlement

Contains a ‘clean hands provision’ that requires investors to respect international human rights standards during the entire duration of their investment and to remedy any negative impacts, before having access to any form of Investor-State-Dispute-Settlement.

Creates an obligation for the parties to protect CSOs that seek to address the negative human rights impacts stemming from trade and investment agreements from any attacks, including strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP)

Unequivocally states that the right to regulate encompasses any activity that aims at respecting, protecting, and fulfilling, international human rights obligations (4)

Creates an obligation for the parties to protect CSOs that seek to address the negative human rights impacts stemming from trade and investment agreements from any attacks, including strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) actions.

Unequivocally states that the right to regulate encompasses any activity that aims at respecting, protecting, and fulfilling, international human rights obligations4

We also reiterate our call on the European Commission to carry out independent HRIAs and conduct prior consultation with individuals and communities who may be affected by trade and investment agreements as part of negotiations for trade and investment agreements.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely yours,

]]>https://queme.org/en/fidh-vchr-open-letter-ipa-contravenes-eu-human-rights-obligations/feed/0UBCV Patriarch Thích Quảng Độ is expelled from the Thanh Minh Zen Monastery in Saigonhttps://queme.org/en/thich-quang-do-expelled-from-the-thanh-minh-zen-monastery/
https://queme.org/en/thich-quang-do-expelled-from-the-thanh-minh-zen-monastery/#respondSun, 07 Oct 2018 23:29:34 +0000http://queme.org/?p=40320/ PARIS, 8 October (VCHR – IBIB) – The International Buddhist Information Bureau informs the international community with deep concern that Buddhist dissident and Supreme Patriarch of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) Thích Quảng Độ boarded a train for the northen province of Thái Bình at 9:00am on Friday 5th October 2018 after …

PARIS, 8 October (VCHR – IBIB) – The International Buddhist Information Bureauinforms the international community with deep concern that Buddhist dissident and Supreme Patriarch of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) Thích Quảng Độ boarded a train for the northen province of Thái Bình at 9:00am on Friday 5th October 2018 after being expelled from the Thanh Minh Zen Monastery in Saigon.

UBCV Patriarch Thích Quảng Độ during his last days at Thanh Minh Zen Monastery reading a press statement sent by IBIB, 3.9.2018

According to IBIB’s information, Thích Quảng Độ was forced to leave the monastery on 90 Trần Huy Liệu Street, Phú Nhuận Ward, Saigon, following pressure from the monastery’s Superior monk Thích Thanh Minh. On 15th September 2018, Thích Thanh Minh “invited” Thích Quảng Độ to leave on the grounds that his presence caused political and economic problems to the monastery. Thích Quảng Độ left immediately, taking with him only a small suit-case with three monk’s robes. When his assistant came back later in the day to collect his sutras, books and belongings, Thích Thanh Minh had locked the staircase leading to his room and prevented the young monk from taking anything. Since then, Thích Quảng Độ, 91, moved from one pagoda to another in Saigon with no permanent place to stay.

In fact, Thanh Minh Zen Monastery, where the UBCV Patriarch has been under house arrest without charge since 2003, does not belong to the UBCV but to the State-sponsored Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS). Because Thích Thanh Minh was an old friend, Thích Quảng Độ went to live there after 1975 when his own pagoda was confiscated by the State. Despite house arrest, Thích Quảng Độ continued to speak out for religious freedom and human rights. Over the past two years, the authorities have stepped up pressure to move Thích Quảng Độ away from the monastery to the State-sponsored Vĩnh Nghiêm Pagoda in Saigon, or to a pagoda in northern Vietnam. The UBCV Patriarch said he refused to move out unless Thích Thanh Minh asked him himself – which finally happened on 15.9.2018.

In a phone conversation with IBIB Director Võ Văn Ái, the UBCV Patriarch said he had decided to go to his home village in Tiền Hải district in Thái Bình, northern Vietnam. “Do not worry. I will never abandon the UBCV. Patriach is a title for life! Until my very last breath, I will defend the UBCV, and you must do so too !”

IBIB is nevertheless concerned for the situation of this eminent Buddist leader who has paid such a high price for his nonviolent advocacy of religious freedom, human rights and democracy, and whose his access to communications, health care and visits from UBCV followers will undoubtedly be limited in this remote northern province.

Biography: Most Venerable Thích Quảng Độ was born on November 27, 1928 in Thai Binh Province. Patriarch of the non-recognised Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) since 2008, Thích Quảng Độ has been a lifelong advocate for democracy, religious freedom, and human rights.

A monk since the age of 14, Thích Quảng Độ witnessed the summary execution of his religious master by a revolutionary People’s Tribunal in 1945. Profoundly disturbed by this image, he resolved to devote his life to the pursuit of justice through the Buddhist teachings of non-violence, tolerance and compassion.

The Vietnamese authorities have repeatedly targeted, harassed, and detained Thích Quảng Độ both for practicing his faith and for his tireless advocacy for religious freedom and human rights: 1977-78:20-months in solitary confinement in Phan Đang Lưu Prison, Saigon, for denouncing human rights abuses; 1982-1992: 10 years internal exile for protesting the creation of a State-sponsored Buddhist church and the banning of the UBCV; 1995-8: 5 years in prison in Ba Sao and Thanh Liệt prisons near Hanoi charged with “abusing democratic freedoms to harm the interests of the State” for leading a humanitarian relief mission for flood victims. Released in 1998 thanks to an intervention by then US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Vietnam pressured him to emigrate to the US, but Thích Quảng Độ refused.

In 2001, he launched an “Appeal for Democracy in Vietnam”, a democratic transition plan which received overwhelming support from over 300,000 Vietnamese and hundreds of international personalities. For this, he was detained incommunicado at the Thanh Minh Zen Monastery for 2 years, deprived even of medical treatment.

During a brief reprieve beginning in June 2003, Thích Quảng Độ attempted to participate in a UBCV Assembly called by then Patriarch Thích Huyền Quang. But in October 2003, authorities accused him of “possessing state secrets” and again confined him to Thanh Minh Zen Monastery where he has been under constant surveillance and effective house arrest ever since.

Thích Quảng Độ has been nominated 16 times for the Nobel Peace Prize. In November 2015, 91 international personalities, including four Nobel Peace Prize laureates, signed a letter to US President Obama calling for his release. Thích Quảng Độ was awarded the Rafto Memorial Prize by the Norwegian Rafto Foundation in 2006 for his role as a “unifying force” and a “symbol of the growing democracy movement in Vietnam”, the “Democracy Courage Tribute” by the World Movement for Democracy in 2006, and the “Homo Homini” Prize by the Czech Foundation People in Need 2003, under the auspices of the late President Vaclav Havel. He is an honorary member of PEN International, and is adopted as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has pronounced Thích Quảng Độ’s detention to be a violation of international law (Opinion 18/2005).

In April 2018, US Congressman Alan Lowenthal and Kristina Arriaga, Vice-President of the US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) adopted Thích Quảng Độ as a prisoner of conscience through the “Defending Freedoms Project” of the US Congress’ Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.

GENEVA, 18 September 2018 (VCHR) – Speaking on behalf of the Paris-based Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) and Agir Ensemble pour les Droits de l’Homme (AEDH) at the 39th Session of the UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva from 10–28 September, VCHR President Võ Văn Ái denounced “the brutal crackdown on freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly and freedom of religion or belief in Vietnam”, and accused the Vietnamese government of seeking to deliberately disinform the international community about its widespread human rights violations prior to its Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

In his statement to the Council, Mr. Ái condemned the use of “national security” pretexts to detain and harass not only Vietnamese civil society activists, but also international human rights leaders invited to Vietnam, e.g. Ms. Debbie Stothard, Secretary-general of the FIDH who was recently detained in Hanoi. He also deplored discrimination against non-recognized religions in Vietnam, such as the detention without charge of the Patriarch of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam Thích Quảng Độ for the past 36 years, and Police harassment of the Buddhist Youth Movement.

The text of Mr Võ Văn Ái’s Oral Statement to the Human Rights Council is below:

Võ Văn Ái speaks before the UN Human Rights Council on 18 September 2018

“Mr. Chairman,

“Agir Ensemble pour les Droits de l’Homme and its partner, the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) are deeply concerned by the current brutal crackdown on freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly and freedom of religion or belief in Vietnam.

“This fierce repression targets all sectors of civil society, with recent prison sentences of up to 20 years for human rights defenders, and extremely harsh police violence deployed against peaceful demonstrators and civil society activists in custody.

“Not only Vietnamese, but also international human rights defenders are the target of attacks. We firmly condemn the detention and refoulement of Debbie Stothard, Secretary-general of the FIDH, and the entry ban on her colleague from Amnesty International, both of whom were officially invited to speak at the ASEAN World Economic Forum in Hanoi last week. The Vietnamese authorities said their presence was a threat to national security.

“These repressive acts take place as Vietnam prepares for its third Universal Periodic Review in January 2019. The UPR provides an opportunity to engage in a frank and open dialogue with the aim of improving the protection of human rights. Unfortunately, the Vietnamese government’s draft report for the UPR masks these ongoing human rights abuses and deliberately misinforms the international community on the human rights situation in Vietnam.

“Mr. Chairman,

“Under Vietnam’s new Law on Belief and Religion, religious groups that are not recognized by the State are extremely vulnerable and exposed to continuous repression, notably the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), whose Patriarch Thich Quang Do has been under house arrest without charge for the past 36 years.

“On 31st July 2018, Police launched a widespread assault on an annual Summer Camp in Hue organized by the UBCV’s “Buddhist Youth Movement”. To prevent young Buddhists from attending the Camp, police intimidated parents, blocked roads, intercepted buses and forcibly dispersed and harassed young Buddhists.

“The suppression of peaceful religious activities such as the Buddhist youth camp is a grave violation of Article 18 of the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Vietnam must answer for these arbitrary acts when the Human Rights Committee examines Vietnam’s Periodical Report on the ICCPR in the coming months.